Pinellas beach nourishment project faces critical deadline Friday

Beach renourishment deadline Friday

FOX 13’s Matthew McClellan explains why a critical beach renourishment project in Pinellas County will not move forward unless property owners along the beach sign easements by the end of business on Friday.

REDINGTON SHORES, Fla. - Time is running out for property owners in Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, and Redington Shores to sign critical easements for the Sand Key Beach Nourishment Project.

Without these signed agreements, Pinellas County officials said on Thursday that the project cannot move forward, leaving the coastline vulnerable to erosion and storm damage.

According to county officials, more than 170 property owners have yet to sign the required easements. The deadline to complete and submit the documents is Friday, Feb. 28.

Why does this project matter?

Big picture view:

County officials stressed that the Sand Key Beach Nourishment Project is essential to maintaining the shoreline. Without additional sand, the beaches in these communities could shrink significantly, affecting tourism, property values, and storm protection.

"Plain and simple, we need to get our beach nourishment projects done," Commissioner Kathleen Peters said during a Signing Day event in Indian Shores on Thursday, the eve of the deadline. "We need sand for storm protection, for property values, for tourism, and so our beaches don’t go back to the way they were in the 1980s, where they had seawalls and steps to get down to the water."

Friday marks a deadline for property owners to allow the Sand Key Beach Nourishment Project to move forward.

Peters has helped lead the fight to get the Sand Key project authorized. She was joined Thursday by County Commission Chair Brian Scott, fellow commissioners Dave Eggers and Chris Latvala, Florida Sen. Nick DiCeglie and Indian Shores Mayor Diantha Schear.

"If we don’t get all the easements, and we can’t nourish the entire beach, basically what we have is a bucket with holes in it," Chair Scott said. "And we all know water is going to go where the least resistance is, and that is not a resilient solution for us long-term. So please come down and sign your easement so we can get this project going."

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What do property owners need to do?

To ensure the easement is valid and recordable, property owners must:

Fill in the date fields on the first page.
Sign the document in the presence of a notary and two witnesses.
Have both witnesses sign, print their names, and include their addresses.

Pinellas County has made it clear that without 100% participation from property owners, the project cannot proceed as planned.

At this point, mailing the forms may no longer be an option, but county staff are available to notarize documents at their Clearwater office, located at 509 East Avenue South, or at other locations throughout Pinellas County. Property owners can call 727-464-3611 to schedule an appointment.

You can also email for more information at SignforSand@pinellas.gov.

For additional details, including a sample easement and the project’s background, click here.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Matthew McClellan.

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